Countryside High School Paw Print Newspaper Volume 41 Issue 2

Countryside High School November 2019 • Issue 2 Volume 41

Attitude of Gratitude Harvest Happenings at Countryside Fall Recipes

Upcoming Music and Movies

Page 4

Page 7

Fall Sports Recap Page 6

Features

November 2019 | Issue 2 | Paw Print Newspaper

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Fall Fashion Must-Haves

photo credit: Taurissa Dorsey

The summer of Puka shell necklaces has ended and it’s officially sweater weather. The smell of pumpkin spice lattes is in the air and so are the fall fashion trends.

Big names in the fashion industry influence many opinions on what to pick to wear when getting ready in the morning. Since popular model, Kendall Jenner, started modeling for Calvin Klein in 2018 sales have increased about 20%.

As this Fall begins there have been new and

recurring trends emerging into the fashion scene.

Despite the mildly cold Florida weather, big fluffy coats are in. Dark colors, mom jeans, and statement pants are coming through.

One of the biggest trends that have started to show this year are chunky tennis shoes, everybody knows a FILA when they see one, which you can practically see across a football field. Elenia Decoli, a Junior here at Countryside, says this is her, “least favorite fashion trend of this year” and “does not think its cute at all”, and Samantha a senior at Countryside disagrees, she says “I think if you know how to combine

Ingraham says “I like Fila shoes because they Tynia are comfortable.”

them, then they look really good, personally I love sneakers.”

Another trend that is popular in fall is oversized sweatshirts and cropped top sweaters. It is most popular for high school students to wear as comfort to school. Well known celebrity’s Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, and Emily Ratajakowski are known for wearing very trendy and internet breaking clothing. High-waisted pants and button downs have recently been a go to for these models. Fall provides endless trendy clothes to wear throughout the season, that will start the season off successful.

photo credit: Taurissa Dorsey

staff writer

photo credit: Taurissa Dorsey

emmaCHENNAULT

says “I wear hoodies because I am always Desiree cold and their comfortable.”

Lavell says, “Being in style boosts your ego, Saraya and definitely makes you stand out...”

This wonderful new tradition is an amazing way to unite the various fine arts students through what they all have in common... Whether it is directed more towards acting, singing, drawing, photography, or playing an instrument, the students are all connected by their love of the arts. Having such creative, strong minds gathered in the same room could truly turn into something great, if given the opportunity to apply

their visionary ideas to an impactful project, they change Countryside for the better.

So, the students and teachers who are a part of these assemblies owe a huge “Thank you” to Principal Vicari, the orchestrator of these art of these art assemblies. This unique plan marks the start of a new era for the arts program of Countryside High, and everybody is looking forward to seeing where it takes them.

Creative Minds Think Alike oliviaCRUTCHFIELD

staff writer

On Friday, September 13th, students of Mr. Saienni, Ms. Leja, Mrs. King, Mr. Parrulli, and Mrs. Anderson were confused upon arriving at their art elective classes whose doors were locked with signs directing them to the auditorium instead. The students did what they were instructed, shuffling through the opened doors of the auditorium and choosing a seat to sit in. The empty stage alit with spotlights, large gathering of fellow students, and 5 art teachers parading around with tiny little hats and big smiles surely caused the confused students to ask these questions: why are they here instead of singing, drawing, playing instruments, or working on other artistic talents that their class this period focuses on?

One day of the grading quarter is designated to students of every fine arts class to gather in the auditorium during their respective art class periods. Here, they are informed of any fun new opportunities that might peak their artistic interests, recognize students for their outstanding effort or work with awards from their teachers, and get to participate in all kinds of engaging activities that allow them to use their creative minds to collaborate all while having an abundance of fun.

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he students involved in fine arts all join together in the auditorium holding up their respective classes while all coming together.

photo credit: Maria Andersen

Opinion

November 2019 | Issue 2 | Paw Print Newspaper

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Guidance Helps Seniors Get on Track oliviaDYDZUHN business manager

All students in high school can understand the difficulties of completing necessary graduation requirements: having their credits completed, maintaining a high Grade Point Average (GPA), completing their end of course exams, and keeping up with involvement in extracurricular activities.

There are various ways a senior can easily become off-track to graduate. If a student fails a class, they do not get the credit points for it and it lowers their GPA. Some students get “fail” marks on critical tests, such as End of Course exams, which hinders their chance of graduating on time. In 2017, only 83% of Countryside’s seniors graduated. The following year, the graduation rate increased to a significantly higher 90%.

Some people who drop out choose to get a general education diploma or a GED instead of a high school diploma. A GED is not easier to achieve compared to a high school diploma because it still involves coursework and a cumulative test; however, it is not necessarily equal to a high school diploma. A high school

Photo credit Andrea Landa-Cruz

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r. Whitaker in his office talking about on track seniors, “We want students to graduate and we don’t want parents to be upset that their students won’t graduate is still off track.”

education shows that a student has good attendance and dedication to graduate.

Our school’s administration works hard to make sure that all of the senior class stays on track. They monitor every student’s grades by running a report of all failing students every three weeks, having interventions with students and keeping parents informed if their student is off track. Mr. Whitaker, the administrator who makes sure students stay on-track to graduate, believes that getting a high school diploma is especially important for a successful job application. Statistically, most jobs require at least a high school diploma.

A common occurrence for the Assistant Principals and Guidance Department is to notice students regretting not taking high school seriously in their first year. Mr. Vicari has proposed to have an assembly for freshman who are struggling in their first year to inspire them to strive for greatness. Our on-track Senior percentages have already begun to rise, giving Countryside a chance to accomplish a graduation rate of 95% or higher through the dedication of the senior class!

Research Shows Netflix is Taking Over TV andreaLANDA-CRUZ staff writer

Today, many people only turn on their TV for their older relatives or just as background noise when they are home alone. This is due to a new form of entertainment that has entered the media called online streaming; ever since Netflix and Hulu struck the web, I can not remember the last time I picked up a remote control. Online streaming is more convenient to use because there is no waiting until the next episode airs on TV, you can easily go online and find the episode through a variety of services.

There have been many times where on vacation it is not possible to make it back in time to watch a show on TV; however, with online streaming anyone can whip out a phone at any given place or time. A recent survey by GFK states, “10,000 U.S. cord-cutters (who canceled their cable or satellite subscriptions) and “cordnevers” (people who never had a subscription) 300 students were surveyed

showed they preferred streaming network programming over broadcast or cable network TV shows.”

Studies have compared Netflix’s viewing to traditional TV. The service was created to attract a 24-hour audience compared to each of the major broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. At Countryside, the Paw Print staff surveyed 300 students to see how they felt about Netflix or traditional television. In the survey below, 89% of students chose Netflix over TV. It is not just teenagers and adults who have changed to online streaming, but also kids.

According to ‘Variety’ website, “viewing time of Disney’s networks last year was 11% higher in Netflix homes versus non-Netflix homes”. This generation can remember waking up early on summer days to watch Disney Channel or PBS as a kid. These days, however, kids wake up to use their electronics rather than to sit in front

of the TV. One of the biggest reasons that TV watch rates have declined lately is due to poor decisions on commissioning new or current shows. Some fans who have been watching a show for a long time could become upset over their show being cancelled just to make room for a new show, especially if the new show is bad. Also, channels cancelling to create time for old show reruns can annoy many to where they stop using the channel. This results in people downloading Netflix or Hulu to watch their favorite series.

Although many have used my television to watch anything, online streaming has recently shown to be a better option. It provides a faster and easier way to watch shows at your lesisure.

With online streaming, there is no more having to rush how to catch your favorite show or struggle attempting to record it. Simply, online streaming is very convenient and less of a hassle to use than TV.

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Foc

November 2019 | Issue 2 | Paw Print Newspaper

Popular Thanksgiving Recipes taurissaDORSEY

staff writer

Sweet Potato

Pie

Pumpkin Pie

Funky Thanksgiving Traditions starDOANE

category editor

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and it is common that families have what is considered a traditional dinner with a full course meal mainly consisting of turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, pie, etc. However, not all of the students at Countryside follow this basic recipe o f a traditional Thanksgiving, they have their own unique traditions.

Just living in Florida can make any day a summer day, and that applies to Thanksgiving as well. Many people think of the traditional Thanksgiving setting as a large dining table set with fall colors and fine china, but have you ever seen one set with sand?

Leah Levengood goes out to the beach with her family and has a beach picnic for Thanksgiving instead of the traditional sit-down dinner at home.

Levengood states that “being a Floridian is already seen as untraditional so why not embrace it even more”. The beach is a great stop for this upcoming Thanksgiving break so soak up the slightly less hot sand while it is still cool.

Aneri Patel is another one of the students who has her own family tradition. Aneri’s family is originally from India so she does not celebrate a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner. Instead, she prefers a delicious stop at Taco Bell’s drive-thru.

When asked about what her favorite meal during Thanksgiving was, Aneri said, “Taco Bell for sure.”

Thanksgiving break is all about friends and family.

Lily Labarbara emphasizes the friends bit, hosting a “Friendsgiving” in her backyard. She invites her best friends over to have a bonfire. They eat a nice meal and s’mores together over the break to celebrate this new tradition they have created. For this upcoming break have some fun and spend time with loved ones. Make it a time to experience something new, while creating a fun story to reminisce on.

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November 2019 | Issue 2 | Paw Print Newspaper

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Tampa Bay’s Nights of Horror katelynTURK

category editor

A quick recap of the Halloween thrill parks that had everyone frightened this spooky season. The main theme parks that people were going crazy over was Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights, Busch Gardens’ Howl-O-Scream and Scream-A-Geddon.

Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights had one of the most terrifying haunted houses this year.

The “Us” house was centered on uncovering your worst nightmare...yourself. Universal also had a new house themed on the popular series

“Stranger Things”. This haunted house took the most disgusting and creepy scenes from Season 2 and the Season 3 which came out earlier this Summer.

Another theme park that got a lot of attention this year was Howl-O-Scream. This year, HowlO-Scream added a new house called “The Residence”. Shannon O’Neil visted this new house and says, “for the wait it wasn’t the best, but still got a few scares out of me”.

Lastly, Scream-A-Geddon is a park in Dade City that has grown in popularity throughout

the years. They have a terrifying and intense walkthrough where you experience thrilling jump scares in the Dead Woods. They also have haunted house that disorients with your senses because of the 3D glasses they provide for you. In the haunted house, “Rage 3-D”, Arianna Riechold says, “the walls are bending and twisting and you have to squeeze through tight spaces with music blaring and clowns following you”. Another student, Jenna Turk says, “this house will actually make you lose your sanity”.

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T

osing next to the “Motel Hell’ sign at Busch Gardens these friends wait in line mentaly preparing themselves before entering the house.

Photo credit Katelyn Turk

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ScreamA-Geddon workers were eager to take a picture with some visitors to the scary event.

Photo credit Jacob Buckner

What Are Cougars Doing Over Break? brookeMICALEF editor-in-chief

Thanksgiving break is something that many students look forward to. During this break, Countryside students are known to participate in various activities. Some of these activities include: a “friendsgiving“ celebration, relaxing to enjoy time off, staying at home, traveling, or having a large family dinner.

The Paw Print staff polled 75 students from each grade level and found what students do during the week long break. Almost half of the students participate in a large family dinner where the other half spend their time participating in less traditional activities. For the results of the survey, see the pie chart on the right.

Family Dinner : 47.8%

Friendsgiving : 10.1% Relax : 12.7%

Stay at home : 11.6%

Travel : 17.8%

Sports

November 2019| Issue 2 | Paw Print Newspaper

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Fall Sports Follow Up delaneySEXTON

staff writer Wrapping up Football, Cross Country, Swimming and Diving, Golf, Cheerleading, and Volleyball, everyone can say goodbye to their favorite Fall sports as the Winter season approaches. Football had a thrilling season with a plethora of winning moments. Coach Eric Schmitz for Varsity and Kent Wray for JV were ecstatic to have an extremely strong team this year, with Junior Varsity having 4 wins and 3 losses.

Cross Country also had a great run this season.

Even though there were less people on the team

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heering on a close relay race, the Swim team is enthusiastic about the race that the Cougars won.

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than the previous year, they started off winning their first meet in 5 years! Star Doane, a runner on the team, says, “the best meet this season was at Dunedin Hammock Park on August 18th”.

Taking a closer look at Swim and Dive, the season began with almost everyone on the team making their best times at Northeast High School, where the first meet took place. Quickly moving through their season, coach Scott Hernon was proud to announce that they placed 2nd best in Pinellas County at the annual PCAC’s Championship meet. To add on to such a thrilling meet, diver Rocco Simonelli placed 1st and was awarded a gold medal.

aiting for the hit to come, the girls’ Varsity Volleyball team are prepared and ready to win.

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Getting set for another entertaining event, Volleyball took 7 out of 18 wins this season.

Although there was a change in coaching for the JV team, Varsity Coach Francis Freyer was excited to talk about the many matches the team had. Nydia Kushta, a leading competitor for the varsity team, explains how her favorite match was against Countryside’s rival East Lake High school because it was “the most challenging team” and the most “exciting game Countryside played”.

Overall, these Cougar teams came together this Fall season in a very successful way.

his is a picture of the girls’ Varsity Cross Country team after their final race at districts, where they placed 11th overall.

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eady to rumble, the Varsity Cougars Football team is running out to the cheers of the students at the homecoming game.

What’s Happening With Winter Sports nydiaKUSHTA

category editor

Following the successes of Countryside’s Fall sports, Winter sports are beginning and there are high hopes for the forecast of our sports teams this year.

Starting with the crowd-favorite sport, the boys’ Basketball team this year is expected to have a victorious season. Countryside’s Basketball team has received some new transfers from other schools, such as Oldsmar Christian, which are expected to bring new talent onto the team.

Anthony Bittar, one of the new Juniors joining the Countryside Basketball team, says that this year we have a huge chance of winning Districts and possibly going even farther. The upcoming junior says, “our rival East Lake is going to be our biggest competition for sure” Our girls’ Basketball team is “fairly young this year with only two Seniors and a Junior on the varsity team,” according to senior Trinity Thomas.

“Although our team is in our growing phase, our season should still be strong. We have some very hard-working, dedicated ladies.”

Wrestling season is also coming into play and senior Captain Stevie Chopek has said, “this year’s team is young with lots of new freshmen,” but he thinks that overall the team should do

“I plan on wining the state championship this year” - Stevie Chopek (‘20)

well in the county. With a younger team comes new talent and high hopes for the upcoming years. One young wrestler to watch out for this year would be Ryan Burburija at 145 pounds, the younger brother of stand-out wrestling alumni from the class of 2019, Tony Burburija.

This season, our girls’ Soccer team will depend on how the team blends together. They are not specifically expected to do good or bad due to the team having many changes this year, such as players getting injured and former starting seniors graduating. This will be Sarah Hotung’s second year with the Lady Cougars Soccer team and she says that the most exciting game this season is expected to be against Palm Harbor University. “They won states last year which makes them big competition this year”.

Our boys’ Soccer team this year is anticipated to at least win Districts this year. Dylan Dennis, a returning varsity player this year, has said that due to the district changes for sports this year, Countryside should be able to become District Champions. According to Dennis, “Clearwater will definitely be our biggest competitor this year along with East Lake.”

Overall, our Winter sports teams this year are expected to do well and will seem brand new with new talent incoming that should make this Winter season fun to watch and cheer on.

Entertainment

November 2019 | Issue 2 | Paw Print Newspaper

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Concerts to Fall For This Season maeJOHNSON

category editor

With the excitement of the winter holidays just around the corner, concerts only seem to “amp up” the spirit of the season. Many artists found Tampa and areas surrounding as the perfect destination for concerts this season, both small and large. Starting at the beginning of fall, Tyler, the Creator visited the University of Southern Florida’s Yueling Stadium on September 28th to perform for over 10,000 fans. Although the concert fell on the same night as homecoming, this did not stop Gabi Matos, a sophomore, from seeing Tyler, the Creator live.

“It was a much better choice than homecoming,” she stated. “It was really uplifting and exciting, Jaden Smith’s performance was my favorite part.” She would “1000%” recommend seeing Tyler, the Creator live and she “hopes he comes back soon.”

Almost a month later, Post Malone appeared in Amalie Arena in front of thousands of excited fans. Seniors Brooke Micallef and Megan Scopp

were among the crowd for Post Malone’s concert, opened by Swae Lee and Tyla Yaweh.

“It was so much fun,” Brooke Micallef stated.“The recording of Ozzy Osborne with Post Malone’s live performance of Take What You Want was my favorite part.” Megan agreed that the concert was amazing and said that her favorite part was when “Posty smashed his guitar.”

A day after on October 25th, Amalie Arena was filled with lights and music again as 5 Seconds of Summer and the Chainsmokers shared the stage on their collaborative tour. Lily Negvesky, a sophomore, attended the concert and enjoyed every minute of it.

“It was so good, I loved it,” she exclaimed. “I love 5 Seconds of Summer and they played first.

The Chainsmokers performed next and their visuals and stunts were so entertaining.” When asked what her favorite part was, she said: “the first song 5 Seconds of Summer performed was She Looks so Perfect and it was cool to hear how much they have improved over the years.”

photo credit: Brooke Micallef

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photo credit: Lily Negvesky

rooke Micallef and Megan Scopp attended the Post Malone concert as a shared birthday gift

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ily Negvesky saw her favorite band, 5 Seconds of Summer, live at Amalie Arena.

photo credit: Gabi Matos

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abi Matos attended the Tyler, the Creator concert at USF rather than Homecoming the same same.

Movies Hitting the Theater This Autumn brookeMICALLEF

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editor-in-chief

tar Wars will be released in theatres starting December 20th, 2019. This highly-anticipated movie will be concluding the acadmy-award nominated and notorious series with a final battle.

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rozen 2 will be in theaters starting November 22nd, 2019.

The story will follow sisters Elsa and Anna as they travel beyond their homeland of Arendelle to discover the origin of Elsa’s magical powers and save their kingdom.

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umanji 2 will be in theatres on December 13th, 2019. The four players yet again brave the jungle, desert, mountains and dangerous animals to save the fantastical video game world of Jumanji.